


You Were Always Gonna Be My Love

by FifiandBogart



Category: Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi | Spirited Away
Genre: F/M, Fluff, One Shot, happy endings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-03 08:06:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24347716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FifiandBogart/pseuds/FifiandBogart
Summary: Haku promised Chihiro on the day she left that they would meet again someday, but could such a promise even be possible...?
Relationships: Haku | Nigihayami Kohakunushi/Ogino Chihiro
Comments: 4
Kudos: 105





	You Were Always Gonna Be My Love

_ When I was a child, I fell into a river. I thought I would die, but I was saved. At the time, I didn't know who or what could have possibly rescued me from my fate, but I was grateful for my life. Years later, I met a boy, under outrageous circumstances, and he changed my world forever. _

Chihiro tapped her pen thoughtfully against her diary, pausing to reflect on why she was writing about this all of a sudden. It had been 15 long years since that fateful day when she crossed unwittingly into the land of spirits, but her feelings were still strong inside her, hidden in the deepest regions of her heart.

Haku...

He had never once left her thoughts throughout the years where she grew up. His gentle touch, his deep, serious eyes, brimming with mystery... Thinking back to his piercing gaze was enough to make her blush even now - he was her first love after all. 

Despite the fact that leaving him was the hardest thing she ever had to do, she kept her final promise to him and never looked back. The loneliness was agonizing at first, but she learned to ignore the dull, perpetual ache in her chest as she got older. She was never able to love anyone as muc h as she loved Haku, but there was no use yearning over a lost fantasy...

Chihiro sighed with sorrow, closing her diary and crawling into bed. It had been a long, difficult shift at work, and she just wanted this day to be over. Her pain was heavier than usual, but she was too exhausted to cry. Sleep overtook her almost instantly and she was whisked into a pleasant dream, one filled with flowers and sunshine.

_ 'Chihiro... Chihiro, over here!' _

A sweet, familiar voice called to her from the fog. She looked around the warm, green meadow she was standing in, but she couldn't see anybody. She tried calling back to the voice, to show that she was here, but only silence came from her lips. The light, fuzzy feeling inside her was slowly being replaced with anxiety. There was something wrong. Why couldn't she see him?? She started to run in an unknown direction, searching frantically for the one who could heal her. The voice kept calling, a haunting echo that grew more and more distant. The sun began to set, leaving nothing but darkness and Chihiro alone again. Forever.

Chihiro gasped, waking up in a cold sweat. Her heart pounded and her hands shook as she fought to control her breathing. Glancing over at the alarm clock on her nightstand, she discovered that it was only 2am. There was no logical way to explain it, but she suddenly felt like she HAD to get back to that abandoned theme park of her past, and soon. She grabbed her keys and rushed out of her house in a blur.

She wasn't thinking straight, but she couldn't make herself stop. She started the car and turned it in the direction of that mystical world that nearly stole her childhood from her. As the vehicle sped and lurched along the bumpy terrain, a sense of profound deja-vu filled her frantic mind, adding overwhelming nostalgia to her already jumbled emotions. She didn't know how long she had been driving, and she didn't care, because the long, whistling tunnel came into view in what seemed like seconds.  She slammed on the brakes, stopping inches from the spirit statue that guarded the entrance.

The car idled as she stared straight ahead, and nothing but the sound of the engine could be heard in the dense trees that surrounded her. After a few shaky breaths, she gathered herself and stepped quietly out of the vehicle. Her wide eyes stared into the abyss and her fists clenched with determination. She took a step. Then another, then another, and with each step came back a vivid memory of the bath house. Memories that she hadn't reflected on in years. She grit her teeth against the recollection of the fear and uncertainty she had been forced to experience, and focused instead on the ones filled with love. As she finally neared the end of the tunnel, she felt the familiar tug of the wind pulling her closer to the other world.

She didn't fight it, and in seconds she found herself standing on the human side of the river. Her eyes slowly drifted down to the rocks below her feet, and that was when she realized that the sun was beginning to rise. With the new light illuminating the area, she looked straight ahead and saw that she was alone. Frustration flared in her chest and she huffed in disbelief. It was foolish of her to think that Haku would be there waiting. It was foolish of her to think that she was in his thoughts as well. It was foolish of her to think that they were still connected, even after all this time.

_ I shouldn't have come... Come on, Chihiro, are you out of your mind?? Running all the way out here in the middle of the night based on a whim? What has possibly gotten into you? _

A heavy sigh escaped her lips and she deflated under the disappointment. With one last look across the river, she turned her back to it, shutting her eyes tightly and hanging her head. She stood there for a few seconds, trying to accept the fact that this was a waste of her time. As the night sky gradually became brighter, she regretfully began to walk away. After only 3 steps, a warm voice caused her to stop in her tracks.

"Didn't I tell you we'd meet again someday?"

She froze, hardly daring to look back for fear that she was imagining it. The voice of her true love was just as inviting as she remembered, and that was enough to convince her to turn her body around ever so slightly to see if it was really true.  As she faced him, an affectionate smile played on his lips and his eyes were full of tenderness. Her chest grew tight and tears sprung to her eyes immediately. Making no move to wipe them away, they streaked freely down her cheeks.

"H-Haku...? Is it really you...?"

He was just as she remembered, and yet so different. He still had long, black hair that rustled slightly in the early morning breeze. His green, understanding eyes were still as deep as the forests that matched the shade. But he was taller now, his shoulders broad and strong. Just as she had become an adult over the years, it seemed he too had grown into a man all the while.

"It's me, Chihiro. I'm so glad you came after all. I've been trying to reach out to you for days, but I wasn't sure if I was getting through."

"So my dream... Your voice... That was all real...? I KNEW I felt something!"

Chihiro sobbed as Haku nodded at her with a smile. All the years of lonely emptiness, of unfathomable loss, came bursting to the surface after keeping it hidden away for so long. Her arm extended toward him of it s own accord, but she didn't dare cross the river.

"Haku, I... I can't begin to tell you how badly I've wanted to see you. I've never stopped thinking about you, even for an instant! I never thought I would see you again... but here you are... Haku, I love you! I love you so much, I always have! What I wouldn't give to touch you, but I can't! Not after what happened last time... I don't want to get stuck there again, but I... I...!"

She grit her teeth against an impossible decision - stay in her own world, alone and unloved, but safe and among humankind, or go to Haku for a moment of bliss and risk whatever happens to humans who stay too long. She stared at him, desperately trying to convey her conflicting intentions. Before she had time to make a proper choice, Haku revealed a solution of his own. He took a few steps forward, much to Chihiro's astonishment, and gently placed his hand in her outstretched fingers.

She stared at him for ages, unable to comprehend what was happening, until a fresh wave of emotion spilled over. She threw herself against his chest, crying uncontrollably while her hands clutched his clothing for dear life. Haku kissed her head, wrapping her protectively in his loving arms and allowing her to get it all out. After awhile, she was all out of tears, but she stayed where she was, absorbing as much of Haku as she could. She wanted to memorize everything about this moment. The way he smelled, the way he felt, the cool breeze dancing around them... She didn't know when she would get another chance like this or even how long this could last. She unwillingly pulled away eventually and her mind began reeling with questions.

"Haku, what...? What does this mean? C-Can you... I mean... Are you...? Sorry, what I'm trying to say is... How?"

He chuckled, tracing her cheek with the back of his hand. She blushed, leaning into the contact hungrily.

"My dear, sweet Chihiro... I've been waiting for this day since we were forced to part... My spirit apprenticeship is finally over, which comes with some of the more experienced perks. I can come and go between worlds as I please, for as long as I please. Obviously I knew the first thing I wanted to do with my new powers, and that was... well... this."

His eyes bore into hers as he used his thumb to wipe away her tears, his face slowly getting closer. She gasped softly as it sunk in what he wanted to do. Her eyes fluttered closed and she awaited his lips, her heart pounding in her ears. He closed the distance and kissed her softly. New tears formed and fell like whispers as Chihiro melted into the contact.

Everything she had been waiting for... Everything she ever wanted... was finally right here in front of her and she was never letting it go again.

She broke the kiss to gaze into his eyes once more, taking both his hands. They sighed happily at the same time, breaking the tension and causing Chihiro to giggle. Haku looked at her with such devotion, such adoration, that she almost had to look away. He tucked her hair behind her ear and kissed her head again.

"Come back with me, Haku. I want to live with you and love you for the rest of my days. You're the only one who can stir my heart, I know that now, and I need you in my life. Please... say yes?"

"Chihiro... I love you as well. I've wanted nothing more than to hold you for as long as I can remember. I would be thrilled to accept your proposition, but there are some things I should tell you, conditions if you will, before we make any arrangements."

"Like what?"

"Nothing too ghastly, I just need to return here every so often to recharge and make sure my skills remain pristine so I don't get stuck between worlds and fade away. I don't know of any other spirits who have this power that want to remain on your side perpetually. Plenty of us travel for leisure and curiosity, but I have no basis of what happens if I overstay my welcome, and I don't want to take chances. Now that we're reunited, I would be a fool if I did anything that could jeopardize that, so I'm playing it extra careful."

Chihiro nodded thoughtfully, taking in every word, then she shook her head with a smirk.

"If you think that will deter me from wanting to be with you, you're absolutely off the mark. I've been aching, and wishing, and dreaming of this since the day I met you. I will accept any and all conditions if it means getting to spend the rest of my life with the man I cherish."

Haku smiled, a spark of excitement in his eyes. He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her into the air, spinning her once before setting her back down. She giggled with glee and took his hand once more, which he returned with a reassuring squeeze. With one more passionate kiss, the two lovers walked back across the grass, leaving the fairground behind for the time being. Many challenges awaited them in this life they chose, but knowing they would face it all together made it all worthwhile.

\- END


End file.
